A practice page for error correction would WikiTree decision makers please read and consider the concept.

Question

How many people make mistakes, try and correct them and end up digging them selves into hole?  Here is a suggestion that may prevent such things happening.

That WikiTree has a practice site, say 4 generations of fictitious names.  This site has a number of deliberated errors.
This would give beginners a chance to practice merges,  removable of siblings, changing spouse to mother etc etc. The site would need to be user friendly and talk you through the process if you make a mistake, so that you end up with success.  The site would then reset its self on completion of some one practising on it, for the next person to use. After having a practice, you would then go to your own site and make changes with confidence.

Less work for Rangers to correct.  What do you think?

Comments

That sounds like a good idea.  I would want it to be concise enough in instruction as to not lose track of the problem while reading the entire solution (my big problem is talking too much and losing sight, can you tell?)

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Wikidata has created Tours so that you can update Wikidata and learn the difference between Items and Statements. At the end of the day what you have created is deleted.....

• Wikidata:Tours
  • Items
  • Statements

 

 

 

Wikidata Tours are interactive tutorials specifically designed for you, the new user. The tours will show you how Wikidata works and teach you how to edit and add data. Wikidata works a bit differently from a typical article-centered wiki like Wikipedia, so even if you've used a wiki before or you're coming to us from another Wikimedia project, you still might want to take a tour or two!

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I made mistakes when I began and I am still making mistakes. Partly the fault of my text-corrector but mostly my own.

The most important things I have learned are to keep paper and pen to hand and to check and recheck. Otherwise I get in a huge muddle.

Answer 1

Interesting idea...maybe a database that resets everyday?

Comments

Thanks for your interest.  I would go along with your comment

Answer 2

Love this idea!  I've always felt we were sort of "throwing folks into the deep end."  Yes, please.

Answer 3

And every person who asks the question "I have a family tree file, how do I upload it to WikiTree?" should be sent there and monitored.  At some point they would be ready to be gedcom-enabled, but not before they get a feel for how things operate here.

At least that would be my suggestion.

Comments

Good suggestion Kyle.

If that option had been in place when I decided to upload a gedcom, it would have saved Eowyn some work to initially stem my curiosity and also to help me make up my mind whether to use the gedcom route or manually add.

It is of course helpful to receive advice and other people's opinions but seeing it for yourself from initial compare to the cleanup process, would I think be beneficial all round.

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I have heard from many, many users on WikiTree that they wish now that they'd given the site more time when they first started and in the end they wish they'd decided not to use the gedcom upload at all.

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But at the time, if they'd been told they shouldn't upload a gedcom, they'd probably have gone away.

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Yes, that is the argument against it, and why my suggestion will probably never be implemented.

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It is not a case of people being told they shouldn't upload a Gedcom. Wikitree is unique in itself and unique with the way a Gedcom is handled. If I upload a Gedcom to Ancestry, it goes straight up with no checking. You don't have to clean up any source information, it is literally an upload.

The point I was trying to make is that people have 2 choices..to upload or to manually add. A practice area for people to see the care and attention to detail that is needed and given to upload one here, and the cleanup process after is giving them "an informed choice". They may well decide to upload a gedcom but it would be an informed decision.